Horrific Crash

[Razors Edge ★]

...for Bernal.   Heard about this yesterday, but seems way worse than I thought it was. As bad or worse than Froome's crash.

 

BOGOTÁ, Colombia—Tour de France and Giro d’Italia champion Egan Bernal sustained extensive injuries in a crash during a training ride in his native Colombia on Monday that threatened one of the most promising careers in professional cycling.

Bernal, 25-years-old, was in stable condition following “successful surgery” for a broken femur and patella, a damaged lung and spinal trauma, according to a statement Tuesday morning from Clínica La Sabana, a hospital on the outskirts of Bogotá, the Colombian capital.

The accident occurred on a major highway about 20 miles north of Bogotá where Bernal, a hero in this Andean mountain nation as the first Colombian Tour de France winner, was conducting high-altitude training with his Ineos Grenadiers teammates.

“Doctors were able to medically pin his right leg and stabilize the vertebrae fracture in two separate surgeries last night,” the team said on Tuesday. “He is now in an intensive care unit where other potential secondary injuries are being managed, as well as his body’s response to the trauma.”

On Monday morning, Bernal was hunched-over in an aerodynamic position on an ultra-lightweight time-trial bike and didn’t notice that a bus ahead of him had stopped to drop off a passenger, said Col. Juan Castro, assistant director of Colombia’s transit police. Bernal slammed into the back of the bus at about 30 mph, leaving a huge dent in the vehicle and collapsing to the pavement. Team Ineos Grenadiers said that he was conscious when he was transported to the hospital.

“He was so focused on his training that he didn’t notice that his teammates were screaming at him” to watch out, Col. Castro told reporters.

 

[bikeman564™]

geez that's horrible.,

 

[Page Turner]

...I have one busted vertebra. That one is tough to come back from 100%. I know I didn't get to 100%.

 

[Gump]

[Randomguy]

24 minutes ago, Gump said:

Holy crap!   I hope he can come back or at least have a normal life!

[Bikeguy]

This is not good...   I sure hope he recovers. 

2 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

and didn’t notice that a bus ahead of him had stopped to drop off a passenger, said Col. Juan Castro, assistant director of Colombia’s transit police. Bernal slammed into the back of the bus at about 30 mph, 

When I was in college, in Milwaukee, I rode to and from classes, and I rode for fun.  I NEVER missed seeing a bus on Wisconsin Ave, and they weren't red.    The busses were worse than cars in traffic.   The bus would just pull out from the curb back into traffic, like I didn't exist. More than a few times that would force me into the left lane.  Going to class was all downhill on WI Ave.  I'll guess they assumed I wasn't moving very fast, but I was.  

[Kirby]

This sounds really terrible. It's been nice to see all the posts from riders on various teams offering support and encouragement.

[Kirby]

12 minutes ago, Kirby said:

The accident  sounds really terrible. It's been nice to see all the posts from riders on various teams offering support and encouragement.

 

[Page Turner]

39 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

This is not good...   I sure hope he recovers. 

When I was in college, in Milwaukee, I rode to and from classes, and I rode for fun.  I NEVER missed seeing a bus on Wisconsin Ave, and they weren't red.    The busses were worse than cars in traffic.   The bus would just pull out from the curb back into traffic, like I didn't exist. More than a few times that would force me into the left lane.  Going to class was all downhill on WI Ave.  I'll guess they assumed I wasn't moving very fast, but I was.  

 

...we've had a couple of fatalities here over the years, where the bicyclist was passing a bus, the driver did not see him, and he got sucked under the bus.  I don't presume a bus driver sees me unless he waves back at me.

[Randomguy]

Maybe he can get his leg-length discrepancy fixed that messes with his back while he is at it.

[maddmaxx ★]

Bus drivers are the ultimate "I'm big so the right of way is mine and I'm not the one going to get hurt".

[Airehead]

Oh dear

[Zealot]

I just saw this.  Wow!!! 😯. Hope he recovers fully!

[Razors Edge ★]

16 hours ago, Airehead said:

Oh dear

A parked BUS, not a DEER!!!!

[Randomguy]

1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

A parked BUS, not a DEER!!!!

...or a gate!

I nailed a car while on a bike and was concentrating on eating an apple.  I wasn't going fast, though, and I wasn't hurt.  I would have been about 10 - 12 at the time, old enough to be suitably embarrassed about it, though.